the Messenger of Allah ruled that if a man found (his goods) in the possession of a man who was not guilty, then if he wished he could give the man what he had paid for it, or if he wished he could go after the one who had stolen it. Abu Bakr and 'Umar passed similar judgments.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّجُلِ غَيْرِ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَهَا بِمَا اشْتَرَاهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ وَقَضَى بِذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ
the Messenger of Allah ruled that if a man found (his goods) in the possession of a man who was not guilty, then if he wished he could give the man what he had paid for it, or if he wished he could go after the one who had stolen it. Abu Bakr and 'Umar passed similar judgments. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4679)
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَضَى أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّجُلِ غَيْرِ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَهَا بِمَا اشْتَرَاهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ وَقَضَى بَعْدَهُ بِذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ
"قَضَى أَنَّ السَّرِقَةَ إِذَا وُجدَتْ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ غَيرِ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَاءَ سَيِّدُهَا أَخَذَهَا الثَّمَن، وَإِنْ شَاءَ أُبِيعَ سَارِقَه".